Japanese Communist Party Upper House member Ichida Tadayoshi on March 17 pointed out that the spread of illegal labor practices, such as siphoning off of wages, in Fukushima decontamination work is obstructing the recovery.

At a House Environment Committee meeting, the JCP Vice Chair cited survey results released by the Fukushima Prefectural Labor Bureau showing that in 2013, 709 contractors for clean-up projects inside and outside the Fukushima nuclear power plant are using workers in violation of labor-related laws. He asked the Labor Ministry if they recognize the survey results.

Admitting that it is aware of violations, a ministry official reported that among violations, 1,210 cases breached laws on working conditions, including special allowances, and 574 cases violated requirements of laws on occupational health and safety.

Ichida introduced a case of wage theft that the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren)’s Fukushima prefectural office met in its free counselling service to workers engaged in decontamination work.

A joint venture group of construction companies contracted with the state to carry out decontamination work in Fukushima’s Kuzuo Village with a daily wage of 25,000 yen. However, they actually paid their workers only 16,000 yen a day.

The JCP lawmaker criticized the government, saying, “I demanded a ban on illegal labor practices in public decontamination projects in the ordinary Diet session last year, but the situation remains unchanged.”

State Minister in charge of the Fukushima accident Ishihara Nobuteru said, “The government will strictly monitor the labor practices of Fukushima contractors.”